Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots RECAP, score and stats | NFL Week 16

The Buffalo Bills (8-6), led by running back LeSean McCoy, met the New England Patriots (11-3), led by quarterback Tom Brady, in an AFC East matchup in NFL Week 15 on Sunday, December 24, 2017 (12/24/17) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Check the scoreboard above for the final score and click on the stats link for game stats.

Here's the AP recap:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Tom Brady passed for a pair of touchdowns and the New England Patriots stayed on track to claim home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 37-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Dion Lewis caught a touchdown pass and rushed for a 4-yard score. He carried 24 times for career-high 129 yards. It was just his second-career 100-yard game. Mike Gillislee, active for the first time in six games, added a 1-yard rushing touchdown

New England (12-3) can lock up first-round bye with either a Pittsburgh or Jacksonville loss. If both of those teams lose, the Patriots will secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Jaguars play at San Francisco Sunday. The Steelers play at Houston Monday.

Even with the loss, the Bills (8-7) remain in contention to break their 17-year playoff drought. It is longest active streak in North America's four major professional sports. It is the longest postseason absence since NFL merger in 1970.

New England has won at least 12 games in eight straight seasons -- an NFL record.

Buffalo stayed close throughout and went into halftime locked in a 13-13 tie.

But the Bills managed just three points in the final 30 minutes, after a touchdown at the end of the first half was taken away.

Trailing 13-10, Buffalo was in position to take the lead, but an apparent 4-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor to Kelvin Benjamin in the corner of the end zone was overturned after an official review.

NFL vice president of officiating Al Riveron said in a Twitter postBenjamin was juggling the ball and was only able to get one of his feet down before completing the catch.

"When Kelvin Benjamin gains control, his left foot is off the ground. The receiver only has one foot down in bounds with control. Therefore, it is an incomplete pass," Riveron wrote.

The Bills were forced to settle for a 23-yard Hauschka field goal as the half expired.

The game was tied at 13 at the half.

The game was tied at 3 on Buffalo's second possession when Taylor was sacked on a fourth-and-2 run by Marquis Flowers.

On the New England drive, Brady's third down pass intended for Kenny Britt was intercepted by Jordan Poyer and returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

It was Brady's eighth interception of the season. He threw two picks in the first 10 weeks, but now has six in his last five games.

The mistake only momentarily slowed down New England's offense. Brady capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a 17-yard pass that Rob Gronkowski pulled in with one hand to tie the game at 10.

INJURIES

Bills: RB Travaris Cadet was carted off the field late in the second quarter with a right ankle injury. ... S Micah Hyde left the game after being shaken up in the third quarter. ... CB Shareece Wright was shaken up in the fourth quarter, but walked off on his own power.

RARE MISTAKE

The pick six thrown by Brady was his first since he was intercepted by Robert Alford in last season's Super Bowl win. Brady's last regular season pick six came in Week 13 of 2015 against Philadelphia (Malcolm Jenkins).

DYNAMIC DUO

Brady's touchdown 17-yard TD pass to Gronkowski marked the 75th time they have connected for a score. It is the fifth-most all-time between a quarterback and a receiver.

UP NEXT

Bills: At Miami in regular-season finale

Patriots: Host Jets in their finale.

Here's what you need to know:

Who: Bills vs. Patriots

Where: Gillette Stadium

When: Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017

Time: 1 p.m. Eastern

TV: CBS

Livestream: CBS Sports Online

Line: Patriots -12

Bills notes: QB TYROD TAYLOR passed for TD & rushed for TD in Week 15. Since 2015, has 10 games with both pass & rush TD, tied for 2nd most in NFL. Has 90+ rating in 4 of past 5 vs. division. In past 6 on road vs. division, has 8 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 98.8 rating & 2 rush TDs. * RB LE SEAN MC COY reached 10,000 career rush yards in 5th fewest carries (2,145) in NFL history. Had 96 scrimmage yards (50 rush, 46 rec.) & 2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec.) last week. Has 95+ scrimmage yards in 4 of past 5. In 5 career games vs. NE, has 510 scrimmage yards (102 per game) with 3 TDs (2 rush, 1 rec.). Since entering league in 2009, has 72 100+ scrimmage yards games, most in NFL. * TE CHARLES CLAY has 3 TD catches in past 5 vs. division. WR KELVIN BENJAMIN had 104 rec. yards in only career game vs. NE (10/1/17 with Car.). * LB PRESTON BROWN had team-high 10 tackles in Week 15. Aims for 6th in row with 7+ tackles. Rookie CB TRE'DAVIOUS WHITE had INT in last meeting. Has 3 INTs in past 4. Has 4 INTs in 4th Q, tied for most in NFL (TASHAUN GIPSON). S JORDAN POYER had INT & 2 PD in Week 15. Is only NFL player with 3+ INTs (3) & 2+ sacks (2). S MICAH HYDE had career-high 12 tackles in last game vs. NE. DT KYLE WILLIAMS had sack in last meeting. CB SHAREECE WRIGHT had INT & FR last week. DE CAP CAPI had 1st career sack in Week 15. DE RYAN DAVIS aims for 3rd in row with sack.

NFL Week 16 picks

Patriots notes: PATRIOTS clinched AFC East for 9th consecutive season (2009-17), longest streak in NFL history. * QB TOM BRADY leads NFL with 4,163 pass yards & ranks 3rd with 104 rating. Has passed for 1,757 yards (292.8 per game) with 12 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 104 rating in past 6 meetings. Has 110+ rating in 3 of past 4 at home vs. division. Has 28 pass TDs & can become 4th player in NFL history with 30+ pass TDs in 7+ seasons. * RB DION LEWIS had 92 rush yards in last meeting. Had 80 scrimmage yards (67 rush, 13 rec.) & rush TD last week. Has 230 scrimmage yards (115 per game) with rush TD in his past 2 vs. Buf. Leads team with career-high 674 rush yards. RB JAMES WHITE has 12 TD catches since 2015, most among NFL RBs. * TE ROB GRONKOWSKI had career-high 168 rec. yards, incl. 69 on team's go-ahead 4th Q drive, last week. In past 2, has 18 catches (9 per game) for 315 yards (157.5 per game). Leads all NFL TEs with 1,017 rec. yards & has 4 1,000+ rec. yard seasons, tied for most by TE in NFL history. WR BRANDIN COOKS had TD last week. Has 3 TD catches in past 5. * LB KYLE VAN NOY has 2 sacks in past 3. LB ELANDON ROBERTS has 2 sacks & FF in past 2 at home vs. division. DE TREY FLOWERS has 3 sacks, 2 TFL & FF in his past 3. Had 2 sacks in 10/30/16 meeting. CB STEPHON GILMORE had 14 INTs & 62 PD in 5 seasons with Buf. (2012-16). S DURON HARMON had INT last week. Has 3 INTs in past 5. -- NFL Communications

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